BUDD LAKE, N.J. (Morris County) — New Jersey Fish & Wildlife reported a productive week of northern pike collection and spawning operations at Budd Lake, with staff capturing 150 fish during a five-day effort.
According to officials, crews from the Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery set three Dakota-style trap nets from March 16-20, catching 92 male and 58 female northern pike — 51 more fish than were collected during the same period last year.
The females averaged 5.72 pounds and 28.8 inches, while males averaged 3.4 pounds and 25.0 inches. The largest fish collected was an 11.62-pound, 36.2-inch female, with many others measuring between 8 and 9 pounds and 34 to 36 inches.
In total, the nets captured 15 species, including 348 white perch, 175 black crappie, 54 bluegill and 50 yellow perch. Water temperatures during the operation ranged from 38 to 40 degrees.
The pike were transported to the hatchery for spawning, where staff anesthetized the fish in spring water, recorded length and weight measurements, determined sex and checked females for egg ripeness.
Males and females were placed together at a ratio of two males to one female. Staff then extracted eggs from females and milt from males, combining them in a bowl and stirring with a goose feather for two minutes. Cornstarch was added to remove adhesiveness from the eggs before being rinsed away, followed by a three-hour water-hardening process in which the eggs absorbed water and increased in size.
The eggs were then inventoried into McDonald hatching jars. Officials said 27 females were spawned, producing 920,930 eggs — the second-highest total recorded in the past 25 years.
The eggs hatched after about 10 days at a rate of 60%, according to Fish & Wildlife.
All fish were returned to Budd Lake after spawning.
